What we are reading, and what we are prepared to argue.
Two things live here. Our own writing about what is worth using, what is not, and what the rules actually say. And a reading list of the best writing about Korean beauty from elsewhere in the world — other people’s work, credited to them, with a line from us on why it earns your time.
Written by us
We sell some of the products named below. Assume that and read accordingly.-
How much sunscreen is enough? A teaspoon, and almost nobody uses one
Read itThe number on the bottle assumes an amount most people have never once applied. This is the least profitable paragraph...
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Why Korean skincare didn't work for you — four honest reasons
Read itTwo of them are free to fix. The other two are why a small non-Korean shelf exists in a Korean...
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Round Lab has the loudest names and the quietest formulas
Read itRound Lab is the brand in this shop with the loudest names and the quietest formulas. Both lines sound like...
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Why there are no devices here
Read itThere are three tools in this shop. A gua sha, a silicone cleansing brush and a cooling face roller. None...
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When your skin reacts, stop
Read itSomething you put on your face has made it red, or sore, or bumpy. The instinct at that moment is...
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What actually changes in winter
Read itEvery October a large number of articles appear explaining that you need a winter routine. Most of them are shopping...
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Unscented is not fragrance-free
Read itTwo words appear on skincare packaging and are read as the same promise. They are not the same promise, and...
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Is that active doing anything?
Read itA bottle says Centella. Another says Vitamin. A third has a number in the name. None of them are telling...
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How long to give a product before you decide
Read itThe most expensive mistake in skincare is not buying the wrong product. It is buying the right one, using it...
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Read your skin before you read a label
Read itAlmost every expensive mistake starts with a self-diagnosis made in four seconds in front of a mirror. Oily is a...